Rack and tray device

ABSTRACT

A rack and tray device formed from a pair of side panels mountable on the floor of an area and attached to the sides of the area, such as the inside of a van.Guide members are on the side panels and include a channel shape extending inward to accept a tray member carried by the channel shape and maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation when objects are placed on the at least one tray member. The guide members are slidably mounted to further support the tray and prevent it from tipping.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a rack and tray device for use in an enclosed area having a floor and side walls. More particularly it relates to a device that can be mounted in an area of a vehicle, such as a van or other truck, at a location in the vehicle where access to the device is provided via a door or doors, such as the back doors of a van, whereby the tray or trays held by the device can be partially or totally removed to give access to objects on the tray or trays.

Trucks and other vehicles often are manufactured and sold in a generic condition and are customized or added to when sold to a specific industry. For example, construction company trucks have special boxes and racks to store tools and equipment, and to provide access to them. Delivery trucks have different requirements.

Sometimes all that is delivered from the vehicle manufacturer is the chassis of the truck, leaving the inside of the vehicle to be fitted with shelves or racks as determined by the user. It would be a great advance in the trucking industry if a device could be provided for basic vehicles such as vans that would provide a rack and tray assembly to permit a variety of uses for the vehicle.

SUMMARY

The present invention is a rack and tray assembly that serves as a primary storage area on the tray or trays, and that is fixedly mounted to the area. The device includes a frame or rack that is preferably rectangular in shape and is sized to fit in an area such as, but not limited to, the back of a van or cargo truck.

The rack is mounted on the floor of the area and is further attached to the sides of the area, such as the sides of a van for example. The rack further includes at least one pair of guide members in the shape of a channel with the sides of the channel mounted on the rack and the top and bottom of the channel sized to hold a tray. In a preferred embodiment, the channel is slidably mounted on a cross member of the frame so that it extends out as the tray is being moved out to further support the tray and prevent it from tipping or rotating to the vertical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of this invention.

FIG. 2, is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 installed in a vehicle shown partially cut away and with trays about to be inserted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2, with the trays in place.

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the device of this invention shown from the inside of a vehicle and illustrating a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The device of this invention 10 generally in FIG. 1 comprises a rack and tray device that is used in an enclosed area having a floor and walls or other vertical supports to which the device is attached. The device 10 is described as being used in a van type vehicle with two back doors that swing open wider than the device and where the floor and walls of the vehicle are suitable for mechanical attachment of the device such as with nuts and bolts. It is to be understood that other vehicles and other areas such as sheds and the like are also contemplated as being within the scope of this invention.

Device 10 includes a pair of side panels 11 and 13, shown as rectangles in FIG. 1. Side panels 11 and 13 may be other shapes as well since the function is to attach to the area walls and floor and support the remaining elements. Side panels 11 and 13 have a bracket 15 at the bottom for fastening to the floor of the area, such as the floor of a van. Side panels 11 and 13 also have a bracket 17 at the top member 19 of both side panels 11 and 13, shown as an “L” shaped member with bolt holes 21. Side panels also have cross members 23 at every location where a tray is to be inserted and supported.

Device 10 also includes at least one pair of guide members 25 and 27 mounted on each cross member 23, with one being mounted on each of the side panels 11 and 13. FIG. 2 illustrates three sets of guide members but any number from one to the number reaching the limit of the available space are contemplated by this invention. Guide members 25 and 27 are shown as “U” shaped, turned sideways so that the flat or middle portion 25 a, in FIG. 2, is attached to a cross member 23 on side panel 11. The bottom portion 25 b of guide member 25 extends out sufficiently to give a surface on which tray 29 rests, while top portion 25 c of guide member 25 also extends out and functions to prevent tray 29 from tipping from a flat, horizontal orientation as shown in the figures. For example, if a heavy tool box, not shown, is placed on the front of tray 29 in FIG. 2, tray 29 will not tip because it engages top portion 25 c of guide member 25.

Each pair of guide members 25 and 27 is designed to hold a tray 29 that may have a handle 31 thereon. Trays 29 are shown as having a raised rectangular frame 33 with a flat portion 35 on which objects may be placed as noted above. Frame 33 is metal, though other materials are also within the scope of this invention, just as the metal flat portion 35 may be made from cardboard, wood, plastic or other materials. Frame 33 preferably has sufficient strength that it resists bending when subjected to vertical loads, particularly when being inserted or removed into device 10.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, device 10 is shown after being attached to the inside of a van type vehicle, though, as noted above, other areas may be used also. Van frame 37 supports device 10 by attachment thereto at bottom bracket 15 and top bracket 17 as described above.

Guide members 25 and 27 may also be fitted with an additional extension member 39, as seen in FIG. 4. As shown on the left side of the van as viewed in FIG. 4, extension member 39 is shaped to fit inside guide member 25 while carrying tray 29. Extension member 39 slides in guide member 25 after extension member 39 has first allowed frame 33 of tray 29 to slide in extension member 39 to partially extend tray 29 outside of van frame 37

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A rack and tray device for use with an area having a floor and side walls, the device comprising: a pair of side panels having a front to back width and a bottom to top height sized to fit in the area, with each of the pair of side panels being sized to engage the side walls of the area; bottom mounting means on the bottom of at least one side panel for mounting the device on the floor of the area; top mounting means on the rack for mounting the side panels on the side walls of the area; at least one pair of guide members, one being mounted on each of the side panels and facing away from the side walls of the area, the guide members including a channel shape extending inward; at least one tray member sized to fit between the pair of guide members, whereby the at least one tray member is located within the channel shape of the guide member such that the at least one tray member is carried by the channel shape and is maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation when objects are placed on the at least one tray member.
 2. The device of claim 1, where the pair of side panels are rectangular in shape and the top means is an “L” shaped member attached to the top of the rectangle with the vertical portion of the “L” shaped member proximate the outer edge of the rectangle and positioned to be attached to the side walls of the area.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the bottom means extends along the bottom of the rectangular shape and is in contact with the floor of the area.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the guide member channel shape comprises a “U” shape mounted with the bottom of the “U” shape vertically mounted on the side panels such that one side of the “U” shape supports a tray and the other side is above the tray and positioned to prevent the tray from movement toward the vertical.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the area is a vehicle having at least one door at its back and the device is mounted on the floor of the vehicle and the inside walls at a location in the vehicle proximate the door.
 6. The device of claim 5, which includes a plurality of guide members supporting a plurality of trays, each tray having a handle means for inserting and removing the tray.
 7. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the pair of side panels includes a cross member and the channel shape of the guide members is slidably mounted on the cross member so that the guide member extends out as the tray is being moved out to further support the tray and prevent it from tipping or rotating to the vertical.
 8. A rack and tray device for use with an area having a floor and side walls, the device comprising: side panels means having a front to back width and a bottom to top height for mounting in the area, with the side panel means being sized to engage the side walls of the area; bottom mounting means on the bottom of at least one side panel for mounting the device on the floor of the area; top mounting means on the rack for mounting the side panels on the side walls of the area; guide member means for holding a tray, the guide member means being mounted on the side panel means, the guide member means including a channel shape extending inward; at least one tray member sized to fit in the guide member means, whereby the at least one tray member is located within the channel shape of the guide member means such that the at least one tray member is carried by the channel shape and is maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation when objects are placed on the at least one tray member.
 9. The device of claim 8, where the side panel means are rectangular in shape and the top means is an “L” shaped member attached to the top of the rectangle with the vertical portion of the “L” shaped member proximate the outer edge of the rectangle and positioned to be attached to the side walls of the area.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the bottom means extends along the bottom of the rectangular shape and is in contact with the floor of the area.
 11. The device of claim 8, wherein the guide member means channel shape comprises a “U” shape mounted with the bottom of the “U” shape vertically mounted on the side panels such that one side of the “U” shape supports a tray and the other side is above the tray and positioned to prevent the tray from movement toward the vertical.
 12. The device of claim 8, wherein the area is a vehicle having at least one door at its back and the device is mounted on the floor of the vehicle and the inside walls at a location in the vehicle proximate the door.
 13. The device of claim 12, which includes a plurality of guide member means supporting a plurality of trays, each tray having a handle means for inserting and removing the tray.
 14. The device of claim 2, wherein the side panel means includes a cross member and the channel shape of the guide member means is slidably mounted on the cross member so that the guide member means extends out as the tray is being moved out to further support the tray and prevent it from tipping or rotating to the vertical.
 15. A rack and tray device for use with vehicle having at least one door at its back, a floor and inside walls at a location in the vehicle proximate the door, the device comprising: a pair of rectangular side panels having a front to back width and a bottom to top height sized to fit in the vehicle; a bottom on the pair of side panels for mounting the device on the floor of the vehicle; at least one pair of guide members, one being mounted on each of the side panels and facing away from the side walls of the area, the guide members including a channel shape extending inward, wherein the guide member channel shape comprises a “U” shape mounted with the bottom of the “U” shape vertically mounted on the side panels such that one side of the “U” shape supports a tray and the other side is above the tray and positioned to prevent the tray from movement toward the vertical; at least one tray member sized to fit between the pair of guide members, whereby the at least one tray member is located within the channel shape of the guide member such that the at least one tray member is carried by the channel shape and is maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation when objects are placed on the at least one tray member.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the bottom of the pair of side panels extends along the bottom of the rectangular shape and is in contact with the floor of the area.
 17. The device of claim 15, which includes a plurality of guide members supporting a plurality of trays, each tray having a handle means for inserting and removing the tray.
 18. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the pair of side panels includes a cross member and the channel shape of the guide members is slidably mounted on the cross member so that the guide member extends out as the tray is being moved out to further support the tray and prevent it from tipping or rotating to the vertical. 